Expecting 5 Star Professional Business behavior from ANY Staffing Agency is, well, an inch or so above ludicrous.
The ugly truths that nobody wants to talk about that must be understood before you do business with a Staffing Agency (whether as a business needing help, or a potential employee - we've done both), are that Staffing Agencies make most of their money from:
A) Either companies that only have a need for work for a little while, OR, MORE FREQUENTLY...
B) COMPANIES THAT ARE SEEKING TO TAKE ADVANTAGES OF LOOPHOLES IN FEDERAL, STATE, AND EVEN LOCAL LABOR LAWS, BENEFITS, ETC.
In our tragically distraught Economy, (another uncomfortable truth that no one wants to think about), Temp Agencies and their... ways of doing business, are what keep many businesses afloat, unfortunately.
If you are a Professional, and go into ANY agency, even the best, expecting Professional behavior, you are nearly certain of getting disappointed. We are not excusing these types of businesses for this, we are merely attempting to tell it like it is.
Expecting great things out of even the best of Staffing Agencies is like searching the sewers for diamonds - don't be surprised if you get covered in feces and don't find anything precious, regardless of how talented, smart, experienced, or professional you are.
We are in the Ministry and have been for some time and as such have been very mobile throughout the US. As such, we've had a lot of experience with Staffing Agencies and with Kelly Services perhaps more than most.
Kelly Services, frequently in our experience, has set the bar in many cities across America for other Staffing Agencies. But there are nearly always bad apples in any bunch, and in our opinion, this agency has recently in the past 2 years or so, become just that.
We don't know what happened to the Branch Manager Debbie, but in all honesty, when she was running things, this Branch was perhaps one of the top 2 we've dealt with out of many Kelly Branches in several different States. All that changed when she disappeared. When asked what happened to her while still being employed by this Kelly Branch upon finding out that she was no longer there, we were told, "she has moved on" ...which could be a Professional way of avoiding the fact that she was fired, or it could be that she left in frustration, found a better job, we just don't know.
What we DO know is that after Debbie left, the bottom seemed to drop out of this Branch. When we did business with Debbie, everyone at that branch we came in contact with seemed Professional, genuine, competent, and VERY empathetic.
We have always made it clear whenever we deal with an Agency that we are Religious people who will work whenever the need arises with the exception of the 7th Day of the week as that is our Sabbath and we are prohibited form working on that day.
We were sent to a TEXAS STATE CONTRACTED COMPANY who we were told DID NOT HAVE A PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE NEEDING SATURDAYS OFF. We went through the entire process, several interviews, extensive background checks, and were offered the position both through Kelly as well as through the client.
Our 2nd week on the job we were informed that we MUST work SATURDAY. When we explained to the Client WHY we couldn't, the Client apologized and informed us that Kelly was in error and that we had too. When we begrudgingly decided to leave, the Assistant Manager stepped in, defended us as an exception due to our productivity, and his Boss agreed.
But the fun didn't stop there. A particular employee or 2 of this Company who had atrocious attendance, being late more than 40 times, calling in perhaps 20 times in the 2 years we were with this particular client, was obsessed with the fact that we didn't work Saturdays when they did. One of these individuals made it their mission to antagonize us, going so far on regular occasion as to leave their position on one side of the Warehouse and walk all the way to our side of the Warehouse while still on the clock, and start attempting to instigate a physical confrontation with us over Saturdays. When we (and even other regular employees) brought this to the Boss's attention, promises were given, and nothing was done. This went on FOR TWO YEARS. The last occasion occurred was when this individual tried to strike us. When we brought this to the Agency's' attention (immediately after it occurred), we were told it would be addressed immediately. The long and short of it is - nothing was done, and we were forced to either resign & walk out of the facility immediately or get in a fist fight.
We immediately called THIS Kelly Branch after leaving the facility. After 17 years working with Kelly Services in the States of Indiana, Nevada, California, Texas, and others, and after 17 years of only 2 days absent (due to the birth of one of our children), NO vacation ever being taken, and NO TIME EVER BEING LATE ON ANY ASSIGNMENT, their response, this branch, was to FIRE us. read more